ROUGH START

A couple of months ago former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) formed an exploratory committee to gather information, and money, for a possible run for the position of Detroit mayor now that Mike Duggan has announced he will be running for governor rather than another term leading the city. Unfortunately for Tate, his time as top dog of the House Democrats has done little to burnish his reputation, beginning last spring when members of his own party started to criticize his leadership (or lack of it) for failing to move legislation in a timely fashion in that chamber. The situation worsened when the lame duck session arrived and not only did all Republicans fail to show but he lost one of his own party members, Karen Witsett from Detroit. She refused to show due to what she said were failed assurances she had been given that specific bills she favored would be moved. Her failure to show meant Tate had to eventually close the session early, leaving a pile of bills unaddressed that had been sent to the House after the Senate approved them. Worse still is that nine bills that had been passed were never delivered to the governor for her consideration. We’re told that one of the bills that got neglected was legislation to allow the counties of Oakland and Wayne to form authorities to consider placing millages on the ballot at some point this year to raise funds (and we mean considerable) for Detroit-based museums. Two members of the Detroit city council have already announced campaigns to become mayor, another person has formed an exploratory committee and some impressive names of other contenders are being floated. No doubt that anyone running against Tate will remember, and remind voters, of Tate’s less than impressive year as the leader of the House.